smooth drive coming off the east shore freeway, the maze, traffic flow is very light. lot of folks will ease in through the rest of their day but the early commute is at a minimum right now. contra costa county look at that, no slowing for highway 4, the walnut creek interchange across the bridge out of the north bay and just under 15 minutes from highway 4 down to the berkeley curve and again, no backup at the bay bridge as we showed. as we zoom out, you see the tri valley, the peninsula, the south bay, all looking great. i'm tracking one crash which still has a couple of trucks over on the shoulder, 101 at 880, the reason i keep that on the grid is because there's the potential of the tow truck arriving for a lane to be blocked and that's about it. marcus, back over to you. >> thanks, mike. 6:00 for you right now. we begin in washington, d.c., and still happening, the government shutdown continues into its fifth day. president trump not budging, neither are democrats over the funding of the border wall. "today in the bay's" scott

mcfarland is live on capitol hill. what is the president saying? >> the president is digging in, so are democrats. it seem almost certain there will be a day six. the u.s. senate and u.s. house are not in session today, many members are not in town. the only player in the negotiations who is here is president trump. he did speak from the oval office yesterday on a wide range of topics, talked about the federal reserve, about the mueller investigation, but mostly about border security and the shutdown. he says there's no timetable for ending the shutdown, until there's approval of a border wall or border fence, and democrats have been clear, that's a non-starter for them. house democratic leader nancy pelosi tweeted over the holiday week saying it seems this is going to go on a while, because the president seems to follow the footsteps of the house freedom caucus, and marcus, we are looking at a sixth day

starting tomorrow, when the senate returns, that's when the house returns and negotiations can resume. >> let's turn to the economy. the federal is blaming the federal reserve for the huge losses on wall street. >> and he blames interest rates, saying the federal reserve is too inclined to raise interest rates. he says president obama benefited from low interest rates and it was easier for president obama, he says. he's been critical of the chair of the federal reserve and wants interest rates to remain low. >> stocks open in a little less than 30 minutes. thanks, scott. >> a court battle is playing in washington in unusual secrecy and seems to involve special counsel robert mueller and unidentified foreign company. the mysterious case made it all the way to the supreme court, where the fight began over the summer went to unusual lengths to keep this secret, ordering reporters off an entire floor.

the case presumably involves robert mueller's investigation based on observing the lawyers, including some from his team. a foreign company identified only as a corporation owned by country "a" is fighting a grand jury subpoena, arguing that it is beyond the reach of u.s. law, but the company was found in contempt of court for refusing to comply with that subpoena and was ordered to pay a fine for every day that it resists. president trump says mueller's investigation is pointless. >> millions and millions and millions of dollars of wasted money. there's been absolutely no collusion. >> the next step here is that the federal government presumably mueller must file its response by new year's eve. new for you this morning, in san francisco, a man arrested for allegedly stabbing an injuring a woman on christmas day is now suspected of stabbing and killing another woman on christmas eve. that victim, a 17-year-old,

died. police believe the suspect, michael jacobs, is a transient. he is suspected of both stabbings there because they happened two blocks apart year yerba buena gardens. police are not saying what led to the stabbings. san francisco's homicide rate for 2018 now stands at 46, and we still have a few more days left in this year, but that rate is still below last year's, and is on pace to be one of the lowest ever recorded. "the examiner" reports last year, there were 56 homicides and 58 in 2016. however, most recently, the lowest rate recorded was in 2014, and then in 2014 when 45 people were killed. the lowest rate on record goes all the way back to 1961, when 39 people died. we're learning this morning about a stolen suv from oakland police. a thief swiped a department vehicle from an officer who was directing traffic outside the oakland coliseum on monday night

following the raiders game. as the "east bay times" reports the suv was later record in the jingle town neighborhood. it was damaged. this was the second time a department vehicle was taken from an officer this year alone. also this morning, a suspected car thief is behind bars following a chase on highway 101. this is 21-year-old franklin molina, who is being held in the mendocino county jail. investigators say he led deputies on a chase friday after stealing a car. that chase closed both directions of highway 101 south of leytonville for nearly three hours. deputies tell "the press democrat" that the stolen car had several guns inside, marijuana, and $30,000 in cash. a warning this morning from contra costa county. there's a social security scam going around, and county prosecutors say that victims are getting calls requesting them to unlock their social surety security accounts.

their accounts are locked because of criminal activity. scammers ask people to confirm their social security number which is then stolen. the ftc says these types of scams are on the rise and never give out your social security number. skiers in the sierra are celebrating a white christmas. as you can see, fresh powder blankets the slopes up at donner ski ranch. snowboarders are happy at squaw valley as well. there they got 11 inches of new snow in the last 24 hours, which is certainly more than they got last year at this same time. kari? >> yes, it's looking so much better there, also another system will be moving in by the end of the weekend that could bring in additional light snow. we're starting out with temperatures almost cold enough to snow in ukiah this morning. we are one degree above freezing, and it is cold in the north bay, with some mid to upper 30s, even some upper 30s in livermore, and san martin, you're checking in at 37 degrees, while it's 47 in san jose. it's a colder start, as we go

over to walnut creek for our temperature trend, we'll be at 40 degrees at 8:00, and then going from 40 to 59, so after a cool start, it will shape up to be a nice day, as we keep the sunshine today, also for the next few days, so we'll get a look at the rest of the forecast coming up. mike, you have a crash in san jose, has it cleared? >> it has. the two big rigs we were talking about here, 101 at 880, that cleared. there was a quick break in traffic almost ten minutes there, and then it cleared, but we never saw slowing on the sensors. we haven't seen a sensor lag, so a light volume of traffic around the bay. tiny bit of slowing west 580 coming out ofof the altamont pa, grant line road. there was an earlier crash and the rigs may be on the shoulder, a little distraction. the dublin interchange at speed, castro valley y at speed. live look at fremont, the nimitz lighter volume of traffic north with the tail lights past the truck scales, south toward

silicon valley where we have no build right now and it's 6:07, that's a great flow. still under 15 minutes right here, top number, highway 4 to the bay bridge, includes the upper east shore freeway, no backup at the bay bridge toll plaza right now. and here is the peninsula, palo alto moves smoothly as well. we'll send it back to you with a pleasant drive. >> we like the sound of that, mike. coming up on "today in the bay," already talking about the economy this morning. up next, an early look at the numbers before the market opens. live report from cnbc just moments away. plus now that christmas is said and done, how do retailers do this season? coming up, the latest shopping numbers, as they stand right now before the returns start coming in. you're watching "today in the bay."

in the sfirity of kwanzaa, we have a day of unit why i on

the roads, northbound and southbound 101, but you have company out there, we'll talk about the crashes that i'm tracking. good morning. i'm frank holland at cnbc global headquarters. here are today's top business headlines. wall street looks like we'll see green arrows at the opening bell this morning, as traders return from the christmas holiday. stocks sold off sharply on monday in what was the market's worst performance ever on christmas eve. the dow dropping more than 600 points while the s&p 500 closed in bear territory, that means it's down 20% from its most recent highs, a steep fall there. worries about the global economy, rising interest rates and political uncertainty in washington really continue to weigh on stocks. with many investors out of the office this week, volume is the examined to be low, which could exaggerate any market moves. back to the holiday shopping season, shoppers delivered for

retailers in the final stretch before christmas. early numbers from mastercard spending poll shows total sales excluding autos rose 5.1% between december 1st and 24th the biggest increase in six years. that suggests the market sell-off and government shutdown is not curbing consumer spending or confidence. online sales are up 19%. for the 12th straight year, gift cards were one of the most requested items. here are a few tips how to best use them. read the terms and conditions, as some cards are only redeemable at a certain store or location. cards can also be registered as credit cards on websites listed on the card, which can protect them against theft or loss. if you have an unwanted card, you can always sell it for cash at sites like raise.com. >> we get a gift card, still not happy. >> gift cards are the best gifts for adults because sometimes it's hard to shop. >> it is hard but i don't know, it's a more personal gift. gift cards are good, this is what i do with my kids. anything you want, as long as we have a gift card. >> ahh.

>> cheesecake factory and the movies and go to claire's and get some earrings. fun day. >> there you go, winning, winning, winning. >> and costs me nothing. look at this, a lot of people play the mega millions jackpot. it is growing, after no one matched all the numbers in last night's crawing. the next drawing will be friday night. an estimated jackpot of $348 million there, what a christmas gift that would be, but there were some smaller winners in last night's drawing. i want you to grab your tickets. if you bought your tickets, we'll tell you the numbers, 8, 42, 50, 43 and 2 and the me mega number 6. we posted the lucky ubz numbers our website at nbcbayarea.com. set aside your lotto ticket and get your paper and your stamps ready. it is national thank you note day. that means spending time writing out letters for all of the presents that you got yesterday. even though we live in the computer age, etiquette experts

say handwritten notes and drawings go a long way especially if you hope to receive again next year. >> "dear kris, you are the best." >> oh, thank you. thank you for the bourbon balls, homemade bourbon balls. >> they were good. 6:15 for you right now. here is one way a major league baseball player is saying thank you to his parents. >> kansas city royals pitcher brady singer posted this emotional video of his mom reading the thank you note on twitter. take a look at it. >> the money you spent on traveling, hotel, food and all the gatorades i drank is much more than i could ever give you, but there is something i want to give to you. i am paying off the loans on the bank. also, i paid off all your debt as well. what?! now, instead of trying to save money every week to replace the

things you drained on the hotel, you can spend it on yourself. >> look at that. he's really putting that $4.2 million contract to use there, you know what, what a way to thank your mom >> i know, and i bet kari is now crying. >> my eyes are swelling. >> kari is like -- um-hum. >> we like to see those good stories, especially this time of year, and we have some good news in the weather department. we're going to get some sunshine, and we are also going to have a nice warm afternoon but it starts out cool. here is a live look outside in san francisco, golden gate bridge, a lot more people rolling across the bridge this morning, and there is no fog, at least here. i've seen some patches of it in the north bay. the seven-day forecast is already up at the bottom of the screen, as we get a look at our current temperatures around the bay area. the big story will be that it is

going to be a cold start, much colder than we've seen recently with santa rosa. you're headed out the door at 35 degrees. it is 48 in san francisco, and it's 47 now in the south bay, and then look the at our temperature difference compared to yesterday at this time, it's ten degrees colder now in the tri valley than it was in san martin. now 11 dreeegrees cooler. headed pittsburg for your morning drive, we'll be at 41 degrees at 7:00 and a very nice afternoon headed our way. so it does warm up and we'll get some mostly sunny skies. as you're styling why you are hair this morning, even though it's humid now, the humidity will be dropping. overall, it should be a good hair day, maybe just a little bit of extra hair spray. here is a look at our highs for this afternoon, very seasonable, upper 50s, low 60s and the breezy winds. lot of people yesterday went to the beach. if you still have the day off today, and you are able to head over toward santa cruz, it will be a nice one with upper fift50

still jacket weather will you nice and sunny. we'll have more sunshine in the forecast as we begin kwanzaa today, and some of those celebrations going on especially in san francisco, but we will have some gusty winds headed toward friday. saturday is cold. i'll be watching out for the potential of some freezing temperatures saturday morning. by sunday a slight chance of showers for parts of the north bay, but elsewhere, we are going to keep it dry, and looking at some highs in the mid to upper 50s over the next several days. headed over to mike, you've been tracking the roads. any major issues right now? >> no major issues except for some folks may have to get shocked back into focusing on the roadway, which is pretty clear. great flow of traffic. few minor crashes but none blocking major freeway lanes. tiny bit of slowing shows up in the section coming up toward grant line road, and that's about it. there's also a crash on the shoulder that may affect the traffic flow, if there's another crew to start moving the two big rigs that are on the shoulder.

we'll track that. getting closer to the water, a smooth thrflow of traffic throu contra costa county. highway 4, the withingk with interchange, a smooth drive through the caldecott and approaching the bay bridge with no metering lights. we'll show you that mass transit is reporting no delays for agencies. remember we talk about the golden gate ferry with no delay but the golden gate bridge as we talk about that, a lot of folks make their way into san francisco, this is a tourist site but no tourist parking there. they closed down a lot of the parking lots. you remember there's a partial shutdown for governmental agencies so that affects the parks as well. check the websites to find out your destination. we'll get to your destination via waze. maybe you're headed to the airport, we have mapped out a number of routes. we want to show you the most direct is highway 101, about 35 minutes, 37 if you take 280, from that shot, so they are just about equal and on time with no traffic flowing.

if you want to wiggle, 101 getting toward 280 and use both of our beautiful peninsula freeways. back to you. >> thank you very much, mike. 6:19 right now. coming up on "today in the bay," a store clerk helps out a woman in need, the way he's paying it forward, and the way he's getting paid forward, too. she misses a payment and takes action, but the penalties pile up anyway. i'm consumer investigator chris chmura, "nbc bay area responds," next. we're asking you why you're up early on this day after christmas. follow me on twitter i'm kris nbc. we'd love to hear your answers.

qua ad lib live picture - live

look gg bridge . good morning. 6:23 on this day after christmas. hopefully you had a lovely christmas day and holiday. we are looking live at some of the traffic that's just starting to pick up across the going going. mike is tracking that. kari is tracking your forecast as well. nbc bay area responds to a pacifica woman who ran into trouble with her mobile phone bill. >> she said she was paying more than she bargained for. consumer investigator chris chmura's team looked into what was going on here. >> patricia may says last year she signed a contract with at&t. few months later she had a family emergency and missed one payment. patricia says at&t agreed to waive at least one late fee, but she got hit with another anyway

and decided not to pay that one. the late fees began to pile up. patricia says she made several calls to at&t to sort it out, but the bills just kept on growing, reaching nearly 200 bucks total. that's when she turned to us. we asked at&t to take another look, and it did. at&t agreed to waive all those late fees. it also cut patricia's monthly bill and even threw in an additional $150 credit. patricia told us in the end, that saved her $623. in a statement, at&t told us, we apologize to the customer for the inconvenience and credited her account as a resolution. got a consumer problem, call us any time, 888-996-tips or visit nbcbayarea.com/responds. >> 6:24 right now. new for you this morning, usually grocery store clerks swipe our credit cards.

but this christmas, a clerk in texas pulled out his own wallet when a woman did not have enough money for groceries. he didn't think anyone was looking but someone actually saw him and posted it on facebook. he got more than 75,000 likes. >> i'm all over facebook and it's just like this whole big thing and i'm like holy, you know, what is going on. >> what's going on is a lot of people appreciate that. the taylor whitney show up scholarship heard about the deed and awarded jake or jack $500 there. it turns out that the woman that he helped just paid for someone else's groceries. >> paying it forward >> absolutely. >> that's awesome. a police officer in northern colorado spread some christmas cheer purchasing gifts for a is little girl whose presents were stolen. 5-year-old layla perkins had a merry christmas because that officer brought her and her sister a doll. the perkins home was burglarized

earlier this month and the thieves made off with all the presents wrapped under the tree. an officer filed that burglary report and then showed up at their home with gifts for the children. you can't help but be moved. napa police officers are giving back to their community as well. >> dispatchers heard about one family who moved into their empty, new home so they decided to spread christmas cheer by doing this, the dispatchers bought the family all sorts of appliances and presents. you can see the officers delivering the gifts here. the family got a new washer and dryer, dishes, pots and pans and several hundred dollars in gift cards. >> usually appliances are a no-no on christmas. we'll make an exception. this of a beautiful gesture. >> a great way to start the christmas day. coming up here on "today in the bay," commuters, listen up, a live report coming up about the new laws on the roads going into effect in the next year. plus, the shutdown showdown continues, and we're still

feeling that local impact as the federal government shutdown is taking a toll on visitors here in the bay area. taking a live look at the bay bridge, you can see no backup at all there at the toll plaza. mike will have a look at your commute coming up, which should be pretty nice for you, if you have to get out there. kari will have a look at our weather, things you should be happy about if you stay tuned to "today in the bay." it is 6:27. it's time for our lowest prices of the season on

the new sleep number 360 smart bed. it senses your movement and automatically adjusts to keep you both comfortable. and now, the queen sleep number 360 c4 smart bed is only $1299. plus, 24-month financing on all beds. ends new year's day.

taking a live look outside at downtown san jose right now at 6:30, taking a live look outside in downtown san jose, as christmas in the park final day was yesterday. and the markets are once again open, that is the opening bell, the pin stripe bowl, i didn't know that was a thing, they're ringing the bell hoping for a better day. we are in the green so far, up 72 points, 73 now. we'll be watching the markets for you, as we have seen some very difficult days in the last couple of weeks. thanks so much for joining us. i'm kris sanchez in for laura garcia. >> and i'm marcus washington. right now, we want to head over to meteorologist kari hall, taking a look at this forecast the day after christmas, kari, and it's nice weather for people going out and returning gifts. >> returning gifts, going back to work, whatever you're doing today. it does start out chilly so grab a kt ja jacket on your way out door. 880 in fremont, a lot of people

on the roads and the low 40s starting out today. we'll reach into the upper 50s today, a lot of sunshine. here is a look at our microclimates, santa rosa reaching 60. 58 today in concord. we'll look at more of our microclimates and the weekend forecast. mike gets you a look at some of the roads in oakland. >> that's right, kari. you say a lot of folks are on the roadways and there are a lot of folks in our traffic shot. i think it's just the right amount because it's enough to show traffic flow out of oakland but not enough to need those metering lights. things are much more focused as far as the number of traffic flow on the span itself, down a few lanes from the toll plaza, where there are 19 lanes. traffic is able to make its way over the incline without a problem, all the way through contra costa county, no problems for for the upper east shore, the maze. this is a great drive if you have to drive into work this morning, or wherever you're going, no problems. that is the pleasure, showing you the green sensors. back to you. >> thanks, mike. in less than a week, drivers and bicyclists will have to deal with several new laws.

>> that's right, "today in the bay's" pete suratos joins us live from menlo park with what we need to know if we don't want to get a ticket in 2019. >> reporter: yes, good morning, pay attention to the new lawsic canning in, in the next year. it affects drivers and bicyclists, as we stand in front of one of the bike lanes in menlo park. one of the big one comes when applying for identification, your gender identification. you can either choose male, female or nonbinary. if you choose nonbinary, that will be designated as an "x" on your california i.d. it comes as cyclists if they're involved in crashes on the road, they'll extend, a new law extends felony hit-and-run provisions to cyclist on the bike path. cyclists have to stop at the scene of an accident if they're involved in one. there's more changes for scooter riders, requirements to wear a bicycle helmet if you're 18 or

older and prohibits riding a scooter on highways with a speed limit greater than 25 miles per hour and could be more cars in the fast lane, the carpool lanes with zero emission cars getting access to the carpool lanes regardless of the number of drivers. now that law will sunset in 2023 but all the laws kick into effect january 1st. we're live here in menlo park, president preside pete suratos for "today in the bay." >> 5:33 right now. in washington, still no movement on ending the partial government shutdown which today enters its fifth day. the holdup, president trump demanding funding for the border wall. that means hundreds of thousands of government workers don't know when they'll get their next paycheck. that includes many people right here in the bay area, including ones that work at some of our iconic landmarks, alta traz island is open during the day but the night trips have been canceled. the bustling ft. point which is under golden gate bridge is closed and there are chain-link fences covering parking lots at

the lands in lookout and tourists are noticing all of this. >> i feel bad for those not getting paid, who have no income for how long. >> a credit to the employees who are out here, understanding the situation, and they don't want other people to be affected by it. they don't have to be here. >> president trump has signaled that the partial government shutdown would last through next week. new this morning, contra costa county will now review the first five inmate deaths at its county jails this year. the "east bay times" reports four inmates died from medical reasons. that includes a valet know man who died of an overdose just days after he was booked into jail. it's not clear if the other deaths are drug related. but we do know that a fifth person, a woman, hanged herself in her cell. there is a hearing on january 3rd where jail officials are expected to testify. an east bay couple is out of their home this morning after it was overcome by flames. firefighters say the people living there are in their late 80s.

they were able to get out safely. the flames broke out at a home on first avenue in walnut creek yesterday afternoon. investigators say the fire appears to have started in the garage. they think a car parked inside had mechanical issues and sparked a fire. those flames quickly spread to the attic and kitchen. we're learning more about a deadly officer-involved shooting in san jose. police think the people involved may have been connected with another shooting. this all happened early yesterday morning near kelly park. officers found two people there who had been shot, they spotted a female suspect driving away. the driver led them on a chase that ended at the intersection of lee and fruitdale, when the woman crashed the car into a fence. police say she tried to ram a patrol car. officers opened fire, killing that driver, and wounding another woman who was in the car. chief eddie garcia plans to hold a news conference on this case tomorrow afternoon.

now to a deadly crash in the east bay which happened yesterday morning on cummings skyway, just north of state route 4 in martinez. the chp says the driver of a ford drifted out of a lane, then overcorrected and crossed into oncoming traffic that crashed head-on into a nissan, killing the driver of the nissan. the chp is investigating whether drugs or alcohol were a factor. you will be paying more to cross bay area bridges, and the votes are in now for a toll hike, it was voted yes. starting january 1st, drivers will pay an extra $1 on all of our bay area bridges, that's according to the bay area toll authority. they say it will cross $7 to cross the bay bridge. all others will cost $6. except the golden gate bridge bridge which is a different authority all together. the toll authority says this is the first hike in nine years. here is where there is a different toll authority but already the highest toll in the bay right now. also get those fast track, makes things easier and this is an all electronic toll plaza so to our

producer's brother, get your fast track, that's a note i'm passing on. smooth flow of traffic, gather your change as well if you're going across the bridges if you use a cash lane, it makes sense if you have everything ready. the dollars and cents. no problem for the drive it's green. smooth flow of traffic through contra costa county, the maze, no backup at the bay bridge, good stuff over there. all the way down through the south bay and peninsula, this is a smooth flow. live camera in palo alto shows light traffic and the lights of traffic as the sun comes up. here we are on this wednesday, a lot of people looking forward to the weekend and some off, some helded back to work. >> we have a mix of everything. some people on vacation, and i will be celebrating the last weekend of 2018. >> weekend, wow! >> there's a lot going on. let's get to our weather that will be cooler with especially those early hours, dipping down into the low to mid-30s for the inland valleys, the coast, we'll see the highs reaching 54, also

54 for the bay and inland, about 55. by sunday, there will be a chance of showers in the north bay, but elsewhere, looks like we'll stay dry and cool, with some breezy winds. also, kwanzaa celebrations continue into the weekend, so on saturday, there are so many festivities going on in san francisco, if you'll be out there. we'll see those highs only reaching up to about 56 degrees, if you're thinking of making it a beach weekend, santa cruz will have some mild weather, with some highs near 60 degrees, sunny skies and no issues as we go throughout the weekend. if you're going to squaw valley, also some great weather for going to the sierra. we shouldn't see any snowstorms between now and then, so no travel issues, and the high. it's going to be cold on friday, only 28 degrees. but looking a little milder by sunday as our highs reach near 40 degrees there. if you're keeping it a little bit closer to home, you want to go out hiking, enjoy some time outside, 58 degrees will be the high on friday. saturday 56. and then a few more clouds on sunday, once again, a slight

chance of rain farther to the north. in the tri valley, also watching out for those slight rain chances by the end of the weekend, but overall, looks like a nice one, especially if you want to head out toment ment s the vineyards going shopping. pasa robles, sun shine all weekend long with highs mostly in the mid to upper 50s there as well. so cool weekend, we'll talk about what's going on today. our temperature trend is coming up in about three minutes. >> thank you very much, kari. coming up on "today in the bay," a new year means new laws not just on the roadways as we traukd abo talked about a minute ago. first come gifts, then the returns. live report on what you need to know before you take back those unwanted christmas items. and we're looking live at the big board right now, up more than 200 points, almost 300 at this point, after a difficult week. we'll keep watching the markets for you. also -- ♪

i don't want a lot more christmas ♪ >> you know who that is, mariah carey, she's making a lot of money this moll day season. we'll tell you about her classic hit "all i want for christmas." did this song make your play list? we'll tell you about the records that song is breaking once again, coming up at 6:50, do yo don't want to miss that. rush to work, grab a drink, hurry home. - [cell phone beeps] - stop! don't be on your phone. let someone else take the wheel. make a little eye contact. make a plan. it's a busy world out there. we're all in it together. go safely, california.

you hurry to work, so you can take it slow. - [cell phone beeps] - stop! let's stop looking at pedestrians as a nuisance, and carless objects, and start looking out for each other again. it's a busy world out there. we're all in it together. go safely, california.

good wednesday morning. happy first day of kwanzaa. as we approach 6:43, we're about 40 minutes away from sunrise, as we take a live look in palo alto. beautiful start to the day with clear skies, but it is cool. we'll be in the mid-40s through about 9:00, and then seeing the temperatures headed to the mid-50s by early afternoon. we'll get a look at the rest of the forecast, with a lot more sunshine, that's coming up in less than five minutes. and look at this, 23 minutes, that's the big number from out of the altamont in through the dublin interchange. typically we see that number at 4:30 in the morning. light numbers here, too, same thing for these drives approaching the bay bridge. we'll show you the live shots coming up. you'll like it. stores and malls will be busy this morning, as shoppers return the christmas gifts and take advantage of many of the post holiday sales. >> "today in the bay's" bob

redell is outside the san francisco premium outlets in livermore. shoppers can expect traffic but what kind of deals can they expect? >> reporter: if last year is any guide, big discounts. banana republic, big lots, macy's offered discounts as much as 75% on things like toys, games and housewares. according to a survey by the national retail federation, half of us consumers plan to hit the brick and mortar stores and malls today. of those, a fifth of us will return or exchange gifts. about a quarter will be using the gift cards we received yesterday for christmas, and about 45% of us will just stay home and shop online instead. even though the stock market has been pummeled lately and there are headlines about a future recession, consumers do not seem to be holding back when it comes to shopping. retail sales jumped over just 5% this november and december, according to mastercard, that's the largest holiday sales increase in six years.

reporting live in livermore, bob redell, "today in the bay." >> all right, thanks, bob. head out there, too. new video showing italy's mt. etna volcano erupting and spewing lava from the crater. spectacular eruptions lit up the sky and rivers of smoking red lava as you see there streamed down the side last night. scientists in italy say around 130 tremors have rocked the volcano since early monday. the nearly 11,000-foot-tall volcano can burst into action several times a year. ten people have been hurt in the shaking. a u.s. immigration authorities say an 8-year-old boy from guatemala died while in the custody of the u.s. federal government. the child and father were detained and border patrol agents transported the dad and the son to a hospital in new mexico monday.

the boy was reportedly given medication and released, but then returned sick and vomiting. the boy died at the hospital shortly after that. the "today" show is following the story and we'll have much more on this unfolding investigation that's at 7:00, right after this newscast. also now to a high stakes mystery, more than 200 miles above the earth. listen to this. russian cosmonauts are investigating what caused a hole on the side of the international space station. at first scientists suspected a meteorite strike opened that hole, discovered under external insulation, but now a sinister plot twist, cosmonauts discovered the hole about half the size of the head of a match stick was drilled from inside the capsule. a criminal investigation is not being ruled out at this point. questions investigators want answered, was it drilled while in orbit or did someone access that capsule while it was on the ground?

california is taking action against offshore oil drilling. in 2019 a new california law will prohibit state lands commission from approving or even renewing leases for the construction of pipelines and docks that could be used to increase the production of oil and natural gas in federal waters. this is california's pushback on the trump administration's decision to lift a ban on new oil drills off the coast. droughts are boosting air pollution, according to a new study from stanford university. researchers say when water levels drop at shasta and oroville and other dams, increase the drag on our ability to make progress on climate and air quality goals. the team found the drought-driven increase in air pollutants can irritate lungs and contribute to acid rain and smog. 6:47 and the warriors are reeling this morning, dub nation, i'm with you, right here after a prime time showdown on christmas with the lakers. >> lebron james got hurt in the

third quarter. he didn't return, but he didn't have to. they didn't need king james. the team blows out at warriors, 127-101. the warriors play the blazers tomorrow. so for those of you who are feeling just a little down this morning, we give you this. ♪ make my wish come true, all i want for christmas is you ♪ >> too bad she wasn't singing for the warriors to win. she made a lot of money yesterday, pla rmariah carey ha record-breaking day on spotify. it was played almost 11 million times just yesterday on spotify. that's not counting other streaming services. >> that's the most ever been streamed in one day, and she's still making money off of that song 20 years later. according to economists, that song has made more than $60 million in royalties over the past two decades. wow!

>> wow, that's a lot of money. >> all you have to do is write that one song. >> that's all, marcus. that's all. >> and then you have to be mariah carey. >> with a voice like that -- >> exactly. i love that song. you were singing the requests love actually" a lot of us have. >> i haven't seen it either. >> don't watch it with the kids. >> royalties to all three of us. >> are you shocked? i love that movie. it is the best grownup movie. >> i've heard about it. >> i was watching "a christmas story" yesterday. so you know, the beautiful -- >> i love it. >> a lot for that one. waking up reflecting on our wonderful christmas and as you head out today, it is all clear and sunny. here is a live look outside in dublin. it's a chilly start. we've seen the temperatures dipping down into the 30s. the seven-day forecast is coming

up at the bottom of the screen, as we look at our current temperatures, now just one degree above freezing, in ukiah this morning, bundle up, as you head out. we've also had fog in the area so i'm a little concerned about our slick roadways. our san francisco temperatures, one of the milder ones, in oakland 42, and it's 37 in livermore. and some of these temperatures are anywhere from about 5 to 13 degrees colder than it was yesterday at this time. san martin is much colder now, compared to yesterday, so as you make your way out the door in oakland, maybe headed to the fruitvale b.a.r.t. station, it will be at 43 degrees as we start out the day at 8:00 and then at 54. our warmup will happen fast, in the mid-50s with sunshine throughout the day. as we look at san jose, you look out the window as the sun rises, yes, you need a coat and also comfortable with light long sleeves, maybe pants, too. it's one of those days and you have to lug around that coat if you're going shopping today.

shopping forecast as you head maybe out to the san francisco premium outlets in livermore, and keep in mind, you can park at the college and they have the bus shuttles that will take you to the shopping center. it will be in the mid-50s today, as our highs reach into about 58 degrees in livermore. we'll also see 58 in concord and 58 in palo alto. our seven-day forecast looking good as we start the celebrations of kwanzaa today. it will be 58 degrees, mostly sunny skies. the sinwinds will pick up on fry and it will stay cool and colder air for saturday morning. we may see some freezing valleys as well. highs in the mid-50s and a slight chance of rain in the north bay on sunday. other than that, we coast into 2019 with some dry weather, with san francisco staying mostly in the mid-50s. mike, so far, the commute has been pretty light. >> it is, a very light commute. i don't want to say there's no commute because some of us have to come to work today. i know there are folks who are

working much heavier than yesterday, by comparison. look at that, green sensors all over the bay, that's a great ride into work. the speeds are not the problem this morning. we're looking at contra costa county, a smooth flow of traffic coming across from the north bay, bay bridge and carquinez bridge. you're at speeds the entire east shore freeway, the about be about be no backup, in metering lights. no problem for the transit agencies, great stuff. talking about the golden gator ifly but the golden gate bridge reminds me of that, remember they have restricted parking, no parking lots, a lot of the parks as well are shut down, closed because of the partial shutdown of the government. remember to check the signs carefully for what's open and not allowed today. looking at a live look at fremont, a nice smooth flow north with the tail lights south with the headlights and on waze no problem fremont to sjc, the airport, no delays on the roads. guys, back to you. >> thank you very much, mike. happening now, supreme court justice ruth bader ginsburg is

out of the hospital. she underwent surgery last week for a cancerous growth in her lung. yesterday the 85-year-old justice was released. the growth was found after the justice suffered a fall. and next here on "today in the bay," a quick look at the top stories, including breaking news, just coming in. a police officer has been killed in the central valley, and the search for the shooter is on. what we know, coming up. plus a new warning from the east bay, the reason people in contra costa county are being targeted by thieves. it is 6:53. you're watching "today in the bay." in the bay--

welcome back. before you head out the door, it is 6:56. here are the top stories on "today in the bay." >> we have breaking news out of the central valley, where a police officer is dead after he was shot and killed overnight during a traffic stop in newman, north of los banos. this is the suspect here, and there is an active search under way. the suspect photo released by the sheriff's department just a short time ago. officials identified that newing police officer as 33-year-old ronald singh, just after singh pulled over that suspect vehicle, the officer called out "shots fired" over the radio. again, this is the man that police are now looking for. he is perhaps in a gray extended cab dodge ram pickup truck. we will keep you updated on

nbcbayarea.com. in other news for you here,ing washington still no movement on ending the partial government shutdown which enters its fifth day. the holdup, president trump demanding funding for the border wall, which means hundreds of thousands of government workers don't know when their next paycheck is coming. the president has signaled the partial government shutdown would last through next week. a court battle is playing out in washington in unusual secrecy and seems to involve special counsel robert mueller and an unidentified company. the mysterious case made it all the way to the supreme court, where the fight began over the summer went to unusual links to keep this secret, ordering reporters off an entire floor. the case presumably involves robert mueller's investigation based on observing the lawyers, coming and going. in sfra san francisco a man

arrested for stabbing and injuring a woman christmas day is suspected of stabbing and killing another woman on christmas eve. the victim was 70 years old and died. police believe the suspect, michael jacobs, is a transient. he is suspected of both stabbings there because they happened two blocks apart near yerba buena gardens. police are not saying what led to the stabbings. san francisco's homicide rate for 2018 now stands at 46, and we still have a few more days left in this year, but that rate is still below last year's, and is on pace to be one of the lowest ever recorded. "the examiner" reports last year, there were 56 homicides and 58 in 2016. however, most recently, the lowest rate recorded was in 200014, and in 2009, when 45 people were killed. the lowest rate on record goes all the way back to 1961, when 39 people died. this morning, a suspected car thief is behind bars after a chase on highway 101.

this is 21-year-old franklin molina, who is being held in the mendocino county jail. investigators say he led officers on a chase after stealing a car, shutting down both directions of highway 101 south of leytonville for nearly three hours. deputies tell "the press democrat" that the stolen car had several guns inside, marijuana, and $30,000 in cash. a warning this morning from contra costa county. there's a social security scam going around, and county prosecutors say that victims are getting calls requesting them to unlock their social surety security accounts. they are locked because of criminal activity. scammers ask people to confirm their social security number which is then stolen. the ftc says these types of scams are on the rise, and never give out your social. we move on to weather, the weather is nice today. >> it will be nice today and temperatures will reach the upper 50s/low 60s. lot of sunshine and we'll see

more sun and cool mornings, warm afternoons next few days. >> all right, that does it for us right now. we'll have more coming up for a live update at 7:25 this morning. >> we'll see you then. good morning. controversy at the good morning. controversy at the border. a child dies in u.s. candidate. medical checks now being ordered for all children in the government's care. meanwhile in washington, president trump vows the shutdown will go on until he gets money for the wall. >> i can tell you it's not going to be open until we have a wall, a fence, whatever they would like to call it. holiday travel troubles, a major snowstorm set to move into the midwest. severe weather targeting parts of the south, expected to disrupt the holiday plans of millions of americans. many happy returns.